Fresh off her Super Bowl pregnancy reveal, Rihanna returned to the national stage at Sunday’s Academy Awards with a performance of her Oscar-nominated hit “Lift Me Up” from Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Rihanna crooned the aspirational anthem’s emotional lyrics from center stage at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre alongside a chorus of backup singers and an orchestra. It was the first-ever Academy Awards performance by the singer, whose custom Maison Margiela outfit designed by John Galliano showed her bare baby bump.
“Lift Me Up” was a finalist for best original song, which went to M. M. Keeravani and Chandrabose’s “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR.” The Oscar nomination was the first for Rihanna, a nine-time Grammy Award winner.
